The present invention generally relates to a system and method which allows for the safe disposal of unexploded underwater ordnance, like bombs, projectiles and mines. More particularly, the invention relates to a remotely controlled system comprised of a remote controller, a floating transceiver including an antenna that receives remote control signals from the remote controller and provides control signals through a tether to an underwater hydraulic grapple, and an ordnance recovery basket. The floating transceiver further includes a power source such as a generator or battery set for providing power for operating the hydraulic grapple to retrieve ordnance from the bottom of a body of water.
“Knucklebooms” or hydraulic grapples are used commercially in the logging industry to load cut logs onto transportation devices such as trucks and railroad cars. Outside of the logging and construction industries, however, grapples are rarely used.
There are many offshore sites around the world that have served as dumping grounds for unexploded ordnance, such as mines, bombs, projectiles, and bulk containers holding chemical weapons filler material. At ammunition handling facilities where the draft of the vessel exceeds the working depth of the port, weapons must be unloaded at sea. Cargo handling mishaps result in the sea floor surrounding many ports being laden with undetonated bombs, creating both safety issues and environmental hazards.
Moreover, some coastal areas, open ocean, and inland bodies of waters have formerly been subjected to long term use as “live fire impact areas,” for training and weapons development. This has resulted in high concentrations of unexploded ordnance in areas which are today sought for recreational use and commercial development.
The present invention incorporates for the first time the use of a remotely controlled grapple, capable of functioning underwater and directed via a remote controller, to dispose of submerged ordnance by first depositing it into a recovery basket to create a safe, non-explosive way of clearing an ocean floor of the explosives. The present invention also claims a method for disposing of unexploded underwater ordnance.